1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus with a feeding mechanism that inverts a sheet of recording paper with an image formed on one side thereof to form an image on the reverse side thereof (hereinafter referred to as both-side feeding path).
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently there is a recording apparatus capable of recording images on both sides of recording paper. The recording apparatus is provided with a both-side feeding path that inverts recording paper with an image recorded on one side thereof to return to a recording unit.
For example, a recording apparatus described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication HEI3-13463 is provided with a both-side feeding path branched from a one-side path in the periphery of the one-side feeding path. Thus providing the both-side path in the vicinity of the one-side path makes the total path length relatively short.
However the structure of the conventional recording apparatus as described above causes a problem that operability performed when paper jam occurs is poor.
That is, to provide for the case where the paper jam occurs, the feeding paths are provided with paper jam removing mechanisms. When the both-side path is arranged in the periphery of the one-side path, in the case where the jam occurs on the one-side path, an outer cover that is the jam removing mechanism of the both-side path is first opened to expose the both-side path, an inner cover that is the jam removing mechanism of the one-side path is next opened to expose the one-side path, and then the jammed paper is removed. In this case, when the one-side path is only provided, it is enough to open only the jam removing mechanism of the one-side path. However when the both-side path is provided in addition to the one-side path, it is necessary to open also the removing mechanism of the both-side path to remove the jam of the one-side path, and therefore the paper jam removing operation has been exceedingly complicated.
Further in the paper jam removing operation, the cover should be opened again to check when it is found out that the jam is not removed completely after removing the jammed paper once, shutting the cover, and watching for a while. Thus the opening and shutting of the removing mechanism is usually repeated frequently, accordingly resulting in the problem that the paper jam removing operation is seriously complicated.
The present invention is carried out in view of the foregoing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus enabling improved paper jam removing operability while being provided with a both-side path for both-side recording.
In the recording apparatus of the present invention, the both-side path is formed along an outer edge of an housing not to overlap with an area of a one-side path, and recording paper is inverted in the both-side path to be returned to the one-side path. The both-side path is provided with paper jam removing mechanisms in respective areas corresponding to a bottom, top and rear of the housing. It is thereby possible to construct the removing mechanisms of the both-side path which is not superposed by the one-side path, and consequently improve the paper jam removing operability.
A recording apparatus of a first aspect of the present invention has an housing composing an appearance of a main body of the apparatus, a recording section provided inside the housing, a one-side path, formed inside the housing, which feeds recording paper to the recording section, while discharging the recording paper with an image recorded thereon outside the housing, and a both-side path that circulates the recording paper along an outer edge of the housing where the one-side path is not present, and inverts the recording paper at a location on the both-side path to return to the one-side path.
According to this constitution, the both-side path is not provided peripherally adjacent the one-side path, but can be formed in an area without the one-side path, whereby it is possible to construct a removing mechanism of the both-side path in an area that does not interfere with the one-side path, and consequently to improve the paper jam removing operability.
A second aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the first aspect, a constitution where the both-side path inverts the recording paper in a bottom area of the housing to return to the one-side path inside the housing.
According to this constitution, since the recording paper is inverted at the final area of the both-side path that is the closest to the area where the recording paper is returned to the one-side path, it is possible to provide the inversion section, where the paper jam and position shift tend to occur, in the vicinity of the one-side path. Therefore even in the case where the removing mechanisms for the one-side path and the removing mechanisms for the both-side path are provided separately, it is possible to remove the paper jam in the section of the both-side path where the paper jam and position shift tend to occur, in an area which is not away from the removing mechanism of the one-side path, and thus to prevent the removing mechanisms from being present in different areas of the apparatus, as possible.
A third aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of any of the first and second aspects, the both-side path which is a path circulating along outer edges of a top, rear and bottom of the housing to return to the one-side path inside the housing.
According to this constitution, circulating the both-side path along the outer edge of the housing increases straight portions of the path, while reducing sharp angle bend areas of the path, and thereby it is possible to form a structure with a paper jam hardly occurring. In particular, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the paper jam even if the paper has a paper curl after being passed through the fixing unit once. Further since it is possible to form the both-side path utilizing spaces available outside the apparatus effectively, it is possible to improve the installation characteristic of the both-side path when the path is an option.
A 4th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the third aspect, the both-side path that has removing mechanisms for paper jam, each of which is independent of the housing, and present in one of respective areas corresponding to the top, rear and bottom of the housing.
When the both-side path is formed by being circulated along the outer edge of the housing, the total length of the both-side path becomes long. However according to this constitution, in order not to expose at one time all the areas of the both-side path, the removing mechanisms are present separately corresponding to straight areas of the both-side path, whereby when the paper jam occurs on the both-side path, it is possible to expose only a required portion of the straight areas each with a relatively simplified structure comprised of only rollers and guides without complicated metal plates, facilitating the paper jam removing operation.
A 5th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the third aspect, a constitution where the both-side path is formed inside a plurality of units located on the top, on the rear and under the bottom of the housing while being connected, each unit has a removing mechanism for paper jam independent of the housing, and a top unit is attached to the housing circularly movably.
When the recording paper is not fed smoothly from a discharge section of the one-side path to a take-in section of the both-side path, and the paper jam occurs, opening a cover mechanism of the top path finds out no recording paper to be removed because the paper is not fed to the top unit yet. However according to this constitution, by attaching the top unit to the housing circularly movably, the portion between the discharge section of the one-side path and the take-in section of the both-side path can be exposed, and thereby the jammed recording paper can be removed easily.
A 6th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the 4th aspect, a constitution where the removing mechanisms of the top unit and rear unit each is comprised of a cover, and a removing mechanism of a bottom unit is comprised of a drawer.
According to this constitution, all the removing mechanisms are not covers, and the removing mechanism of the bottom unit for the both-side path is comprised of a drawer mechanism, whereby it is possible to further install a paper feeding unit under the both-side path. Thereby it is possible to prevent the installation of the both-side path from limiting the installation of the paper feeding unit, and to achieve the paper jam removal on the both-side path.
A 7th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the 4th aspect, a constitution where the removing mechanism of the bottom of the both-side path is comprised of a drawer, the drawer stores an inversion mechanism that inverts the recording paper, and the inversion mechanism is drawn outside along with the drawer.
According to this constitution, when the drawer is drawn out, the inversion mechanism is drawn out together. Therefore it is possible to remove the paper jam in the inversion mechanism, where the paper jam tends to occur the most frequently, easily with an easy operation.
An 8th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the 7th aspect, the inversion mechanism having a pair of rollers that feed the recording paper while putting the recording paper therebetween.
According to this constitution, by providing the inversion mechanism with a pair of rollers to put the recording paper therebetween to feed, drawing out the drawer mechanism results in that the recording paper put between the rollers is drawn out, whereby it is possible to remove the jammed paper assuredly in the inversion mechanism.
A 9th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recoding apparatus of the 7th aspect, the inversion mechanism having a guide that guides one side of the recording paper and another guide that guides the other side of the recording paper in a predetermined area.
According to this constitution, by providing the inversion mechanism with guides for both sides of the recording paper, drawing out the drawer mechanism results in that the recording paper put between the guides is drawn out. Accordingly even in the case where it is not possible to provide the inversion mechanism with a pair of rollers, it is possible to remove the jammed paper assuredly in the inversion mechanism.
A 10th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the 7th aspect, the inversion mechanism having a guide that guides one side of the recording paper and a roller that feeds the other side of the recording paper in a predetermined area.
According to this constitution, by providing the inversion mechanism with the guide that guides one side of the recording paper and the roller that feeds the other side of the recording paper, drawing out the drawer mechanism results in that the recording paper held by the guide is drawn out along with the drawer mechanism. Therefore even in the case where one roller is arranged in the inversion mechanism, and another roller is arranged in an apparatus side, it is possible to remove the jammed paper in the inversion mechanism assuredly.
An 11th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the 7th aspect, a constitution where the inversion mechanism is arranged in an innermost side in the direction in which the drawer is drawn out.
According to this constitution, by pinching the recording paper with both sides thereof in an innermost portion in the drawer that an operation hardly touches, when the paper jam occurs in such a portion, it is possible to prevent the operator from performing the complicated operation to draw out the drawer and remove the jammed paper while stretching the operator""s hand to the innermost portion in a storage section that stores the drawer.
A 12th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of any of the first to 11th aspects, a switching mechanism, provided at a branch point between a second path and a third path, which switches a path to which the recording paper coming from a first path goes, where the first path is a path connecting a discharge outlet of the one-side path and an inlet of the both-side path, the second path is a path connecting the first path and the both-side path, and the third path is a path connecting the first path and a discharge outlet of the both-side path, and a control section that guides the recording paper to the discharge outlet of the both-side path through the third path when the switching mechanism selects the path to feed the recording paper to the third path at the time recording on a second side is started in the both-side recording.
In the case where the switching mechanism does not operate sufficiently due to, for example, the aging, when the control is performed to return the recording paper to the switching mechanism while setting the direction of the switching mechanism in the right direction to feed the recording paper again, the paper jam tends to occur in a switching area of the path. However according to this constitution, since the recording paper is discharged to an incorrect path without correcting the path even when the switching mechanism provides the incorrect path, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of paper jam, also to notify the user of the abnormality of the apparatus by discharging the recording paper without any correction, and consequently to urge the operator to perform an appropriate action.
A 13th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the 12th aspect, a constitution where a discharge sensor is provided to detect the presence or absence of the recording paper to be discharged to the third path, and when the discharge sensor detects the recording paper at the time the recording on the second side is performed, the control section judges that the switching mechanism incorrectly guides the recording paper to the third path at the time the recording on the second side is started in the both-side recording.
According to this constitution, the discharge sensor on the third path that monitors at the time the second sided recording is finished is set to monitor at the time the second sided recording is started, whereby it is possible to judge the presence or absence of the malfunction using the preexisting discharge sensor without increasing the number of components.
A 14th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of any of the first to 11th aspects, a switching mechanism, provided at a branch point between a second path and a third path, which switches a path to which the recording paper coming from a first path goes, where the first path is a path connecting a discharge outlet of the one-side path and an inlet of the both-side path, the second path is a path connecting the first path and the both-side path, and the third path is a path connecting the first path and a discharge outlet of the both-side path, and a control section that stops the recording paper at a predetermined position corresponding to the removing mechanism for paper jam of the both-side path when the switching mechanism guides the recording paper to the second path at the time the recording on the second side is finished in the both-side recording.
In the case where the switching mechanism does not operate sufficiently due to, for example, the aging, when the control is performed to return the recording paper to the switching mechanism while setting the direction of the switching mechanism in the right direction to feed the recording paper again, the paper jam tends to occur in the switching area of the path. However according to this constitution, in the case where the recording paper to be discharged is not discharged, the recording paper is stopped at the predetermined position corresponding to the removing mechanism of the both-side path, therefore it is possible to prevent the occurrence of the paper jam, and also to make the situation where the recording paper is present at the corresponding position when the removing mechanism of the both-side path is opened, facilitating the operation for removing the recording paper present in the incorrect path.
A 15th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the 14 aspect, a constitution where a discharge sensor is provided to detect the presence or absence of the recording paper to be discharged to the third path, and when the discharge sensor does not detect the recording paper after the elapse of a predetermined time at the time the recording on the second side is finished, the control section judges that the switching mechanism incorrectly guides the recording paper to the second path.
According to this constitution, by limiting the time for the discharge sensor on the third path to monitor, it is judged that the recording paper is present on the second path when the recording paper is not detected after monitoring for the predetermined time, whereby it is possible to judge the malfunction without increasing the number of components.
A 16th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of any of the first to 15th aspects, a holding mechanism that holds a pinch roller provided opposite a driving roller that first drives the recording paper in the both-side path, by pressing opposite ends of a shaft of the pinch roller separately against sides of the driving roller.
The recording paper tends to skew at the first stage of the both-side path where the paper passed through the one-side path is taken in the both-side path because a top edge of the paper tends to miss the position at such a stage. Once the skew occurs at the first stage, it is difficult to compensate the skew at a portion directly before the recording that is the final stage of the both-side path because the degree of skew becomes larger due to the fact the both-side path has the long total length. However according to this constitution, by pressing the opposite ends of the shaft of the pinch roller separately at the first stage of the both-side path, it is possible to prevent the pinch rollers from pressing the feed rollers ununiformly, also to prevent the skew of the recording paper at the first stage of the both-side path, and consequently to prevent an image from being recorded askew in the recording section.
The 17th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of any of the first to 16th aspects, a constitution with an inclination mechanism that forcibly inclines at a final area of the both-side path a direction of the recording paper to a reference surface in the direction in which a top end corner of the recording paper is first in contact with the reference surface, while feeding the paper, and a skew correction mechanism that corrects the direction of the recording paper to be straight along the reference surface to return to the one-side path, where the recording paper skews in the direction in which the top end corner of the recording paper is first in contact with the reference surface.
Circulating the both-side path along the outer edge of the housing results in the long total length of the both-side path, and as the length becomes longer, the skew tends to occur. However according to this constitution, on the assumption that the skew is present, the direction of the recording paper is inclined forcibly in the direction that the skew correction mechanism expects, and then fed to the skew correction mechanism, whereby it is possible to correct the skew of the recording paper assuredly, and to feed the recording paper with the straight direction to a recording section.
Further as compared to a structure in which a skew correction mechanism is moved to the recording paper, the constitution does not require a process to stop the feed of recording paper once, or move the skew correction mechanism, and thereby it is possible to perform the skew correction in the process in which the recording paper is fed originally, and to prevent the occurrence of time loss.
An 18th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the 17th aspect, the inclination mechanism having a mechanism that forcibly makes the recording paper skew in the opposite direction to the reference surface at a last stage before the final stage of the both-side path, and an inversion mechanism that feeds the recording paper skewing again starting from the rear end of the recording paper to invert a side of the recording paper.
According to this constitution, since by the use of the preexisting inversion mechanism the recoding paper is forcibly inclined while being fed, it is possible to incline the recording paper with a simplified construction.
A 19th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of any of the first to 18th aspects, a constitution where a feed speed in an interval when a top end of the recording paper is fed to a transfer section and then a rear end of the recording paper is fed out of a fixing section is set to be lower than another feed speed in areas other than the interval.
According to this constitution, although the both-side path formed by being circulated along the outer edge of the housing results in the longer total length of the both-side path, the feed speed is switched to be higher in areas other than the process interval in which the feed speed is specified by the applied process. Therefore it is possible to maintain the appropriate speed in the process interval, and also to speed up the entire paper feeding.
A 20th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus according to any of the first to 19th aspects, the both-side path formed inside a plurality of units located on the top, on the rear and under the bottom of the housing while being connected, where the units are constructed in a separable way for each unit.
According to this constitution, it is possible to provide the recording apparatus comprised of only the housing to a user who does not require the both-side path, while providing the recording apparatus enabling both-side recording to another user who requires the both-side path, by later attaching the both-side path along the outer edge of the housing. Further since the both-side path is separated into the plurality of units, it is possible to prepare each unit in the form enabling the easy transportation, and to reduce the weight of each unit. Furthermore since each unit is attached along the outer edge of the housing sequentially to assemble, it is possible to improve the assembling characteristic.
A 21st aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the 20th aspect, the plurality of units each having positioning materials for each unit also working as fixing materials to connect each unit to fix.
According to this constitution, the operation to connect the units to each other to fix is completed by the operation to match positions of the units by the positioning materials, and thereby it is possible to simplify operation processes to fix units, and to improve the assembling characteristic.
A 22nd aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus according to any of the first to 21st aspects, a plurality of sensors arranged at spaced intervals that are longer than a length of the recording paper on the both-side path, and a control section that judges whether or not any of the sensors detects the recording paper while driving rollers on the both-side path at the initial operation time.
Since the both-side path thus circulated along the outer edge of the housing increases the total length of the feeding path, the number of sensors to be arranged is increased, and consequently the number of components is increased. However according to this constitution, sensors are arranged at the spaced intervals longer than the recording paper length, and the rollers are driven to feed the recording paper at the initial operation time, whereby the recording paper moves to the sensor when remains on the both-side path. It is thereby possible to suppress an increase of the number of components, and to detect whether or not the recording paper is present on the both-side path assuredly at the initial operation time.
A recording apparatus of a 23rd aspect of the present invention has an housing composing an appearance of a main body of the apparatus, a recording section provided inside the housing, a one-side path, formed inside the housing, which feeds recording paper to the recording section, while discharging the recording paper with an image recorded thereon outside the housing, a both-side path that circulates the recording paper discharged from the one-side path along an outer edge of the housing, where the one-side path is not present, to return to the one-side path, a switching mechanism that switches a path to which the recording paper discharged from the one-side path goes to the both-side path or a discharge outlet of the both-side path, an inversion section, provided on a location of the both-side path, which draws in the recording paper starting from a top end thereof, while pushing out the recording paper starting from a rear end thereof, to invert the recording paper, a first forward-reverse motor that controls the switching mechanism, and a second forward-reverse motor that switches between draw-in and push-out in the inversion section.
According to this constitution, in the case where two sheets of recording paper are fed to the both-side path to perform successive recording, the forward-reverse motors perform the switching of the recording paper feeding path in the switching mechanism, and the switching between the draw-in and push-out in the inversion section, and thus it is possible to control positions of the sheets of recording paper circulating on the both-side path by the forward-reverse motors. Therefore it is possible to control the positions of the sheets of recording paper with the simplified control performed only by switching the forward-reverse motors.
A 24th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the 23rd aspect, a constitution where the first forward-reverse motor controls a driving system in which the recording paper is fed from the switching mechanism to a location before the inversion section, and the second forward-reverse motor controls another driving system in which the recording paper is fed from the location to the one-side path inside the housing again through the inversion section.
According to this constitution, in the case where two sheets of recording paper are fed to the both-side path to perform the successive recording, the two forward-reverse motors are switched so that each sheet waits before returning to the one-side path in the housing, whereby it is possible to properly control the recording timing while properly holding an interval between the sheets of recording paper.
A 25th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the 24th aspect, a constitution where a sheet of recording paper is drawn out of the inversion section by a reverse rotation of the second forward-reverse motor, and set to wait before returning to the one-side path in the housing by a forward rotation of the second forward-reverse motor, and during the time the sheet of recording paper is waiting, another sheet of recording paper is fed to the one-side path in the housing from a paper cassette.
A 26th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the 25th aspect, a constitution where while a second sheet of recording paper is taken in a side of the both-side path by a forward rotation of the first forward-reverse motor, the first sheet of recording paper waiting before returning to the one-side path is provided to the one-side path in the housing by the reverse rotation of the second forward-reverse motor, thereafter the second sheet of recording paper taken in the both-side path is drawn in the inversion section by the forward rotation of the second forward-reverse motor, and the first sheet of recording paper fed from the both-side path to the one-side path is discharged from the discharge outlet of the both-side path by a reverse rotation of the first forward-reverse motor.
A 27th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the 26th aspect, a constitution where the second sheet of recording paper is drawn out of the inversion section by the reverse rotation of the second forward-reverse motor, and set to wait before returning to the one-side path in the housing.
According to these constitutions, in the case where two sheets of recording paper are fed to the both-side path to perform the successive recording, the two forward-reverse motors are switched to control the feeding position of each recording paper, whereby it is possible to correct the position as appropriate even if either recording paper is ahead or behind than expected on the way, and thereby it is possible to continue the proper circulation of the recording paper.